


Warming a Stone-Heart

by ObsidianDiamond



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Genre: Assassins, Dark!Agent Stone, M/M, Murder, So many murders, Stone becomes an Assassin, Stone becomes insane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:48:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianDiamond/pseuds/ObsidianDiamond
Summary: After Robotnik had disappeared, Agent Stone’s life was a mess. His inner voice, Zac, was slowly breaking him, telling him that it was all his fault.As a therapy, he was transferred to the assassin clan Bloody Blades, who taught him to be a heartless monster. Now being the assistant of the clan master herself, he had almost forgotten what his life has been like before he had come to them…but then, a certain man returned, and his mind and heart fought a war.Who will win?
Relationships: Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik/Agent Stone
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Bloody Blades

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my dear friends. This is my first story on this platform. My name’s ObsidianDiamond, or Diamond for short, and I hope my writing is to your liking.  
> Warning: English is not my mother language. Please Excuse any grammatical mistakes that there is!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stone gets transferred...to the assassin clan Bloody Blades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hope you enjoy this little story. ^^  
> Also, please excuse any grammatical mistakes, English is not my native language.

„ _You are a failure. You could have saved him_."

Those words...they hurt.

They felt like blades, cutting through his skin until they reached his bones, slowly, agonizing, making sure he felt every millimeter. Tears slowly trailed down his cheeks and collected on his chin, dripping onto the pillow underneath his head.

He was crying, all of his pain was manifested in the salty liquid that was slowly soaking the soft, black fabric. A violent sob wrecked his whole body, and he dug his nails into his palms, piercing his skin. He ignored the pain and the red liquid that slowly began to ooze out of his new wounds.

" _Oh, don't cry now, you ultimate failure_!", the voice in his head hissed, venom soaking its words. " _You don't deserve to live after you have failed him! You could have saved him! And what did you do? The exact same thing as you do now to save him...absolutely nothing_!" He whimpered as he realized that the voice was telling the truth. He sobbed again, turning to the side, curling up into a ball, digging his nails now in his shoulders. "S-stop this! P-please!!! S-Stop!", he cried, but the voice only gave a cruel laugh.

" _You think I will stop now? No, I've only started! Someone as useless as you don't deserve any mercy_!" "I k-now!", he sobbed. "I know I failed! I know I screwed up!! I know it's all my f-fault!!", he cried out it pure agony, starting to shake even more than he already had. "I-I know I could not save him! I-I know i-t's me who fucked up!"

" _Yes! Yes! It was you! How could you claim to be loyal if you can't even protect him?! You knew he needed you! You knew that something bad was going to happen! And yet...you failed_!" "I know! Stop telling me the obvious!", he wailed and hid his face in his pillow. He gripped onto its sides, causing it to be soaked by the thick, red liquid that was still oozing out of his palms. The voice laughed again, but shut up, and he was grateful for it.

It had been a month since it all had happened, a whole goddamned month since Dr. Robotnik disappeared into thin air. Nobody searched for, the government regretted losing him at first, but then they simply forgot about him...erasing him out of existence. No one remembered his name anymore, no one but himself, and it had only been a month.

**_"What do you mean you don't know who he is?!"_ **

He sobbed as he remembered how everyone pretended that he had never even existed, how they put his name to silence and caused him to be forgotten. He had done so much for them, more than every other living being was capable of, and they simply threw him in the trash.

He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around himself as he started to shake even more violently.

He knew he was a mess. He knew that Robotnik's disappearance broke him and that it is asked of him to pick up the pieces, but he had no strength to do so. He only could cry, mourn and scream his pain into the air, feeding the voices that slowly drove him to insanity with guilt.

" _Even that is your fault_!", it laughed. "Shut up!", he roared and whined as his throat began to burn like he had just swallowed fire. " _No, I'll certainly not shut up, Aban Stone. You must know what you did! You must know what this feels like, assistant! You must be remembered what you could have changed if you would have moved your ass fast enough once in your pitiful life_!"

He let those words sink in, and those blades he had felt before, returned, cutting into his skin. He started to scream again until he had no strength left...and soon passed out on the bed, strained off all strength.

\---

_It was dark...it was so, so dark. He couldn't see anything, but he knew he couldn't stop running now._

_His pursuer was close, far too close for his comfort. It was catching up, he could hear its steps coming closer, and before he could suddenly feel a cold, large hand grabbing his arm. He felt a large hand close around his biceps, yanking him back before forcing him to the ground._

_He grunted as his chest collided with the hard surface of the ground, groaning as the weight of the other pressing him down to the point of absolute pain. " **Got you, dear, old friend**.", the voice hissed, and he felt a cold breath hit his ear. "."_

**_You're getting out of shape. You know getting your ass out of the bed and do sports would help you. Oh, sorry, I forgot. You're so useless that you can't even do that_**.”

_He winced as he recognized it. It was the same voice that was tormenting him during the day, breaking his soul with every single word that was leaving its throat. It was here, in his dreams, tormenting him even while he was asleep, where he was supposed the rest. "Please! J-Just leave me alone!", he all but sobbed into the ground, trying to free himself from the harsh grip of the being sitting on him. " **Hah! Even in your dreams, you start crying**!", it mocked him._

_The grip got even tighter and he was turned around so that he could finally look into the face of the one who had decided to make his life even more hellish than it already was._

**_"I regret that I have to share a body with you!",_** _his other half hissed, and he stared back with cold, red eyes, which were glowing brightly in the darkness surrounding him._ _" **You are so weak, Aban! You make a fool out of yourself with your mere existence**!"_

_It was like looking in a dark mirror. Where his own skin was sun-kissed, the skin of this version was a dark shade of grey, his hair seemed even darker than his own and was a mess while his eyes were only a glowing inferno of death which promised agony wherever he would go._

_The dark being, Zac, as he called himself, grinned at him, showing off two rows of long, sharp fangs. He could recognize the expression, which was no surprise considering that this was literally just himself only darker, it was his expression of pure sadism that he only had when an enemy who deserved to suffer had finally gotten his punishment. But even then, he did not look so evil than his evil self did now._

_"L-Let me go! Leave me alone!", he cocked on his words, trying to free himself. " **You thought that you could escape me yet again, could you**?", Zac hissed with amusement in his voice, and his free hand began to trace his cheek._ " ** _You thought that you could run from the guilt you wear on your shoulders_** _?"_

_"Stop! P-lease!", he sobbed, shuddering, tears threatening to flow down his cheeks already. The other threw his head back in a cruel laugh and wrapped his free hand around his throat. " **Oh, come on, crying again? You are so god damn pathetic**!"_

_Stone whimpered, his hand wrapping around the large claws of his dark counterpart, trying to pull it from his neck so that he could breathe again, but he was simply too strong._

_" **You cannot escape, Aban. You cannot run from the punishment you deserve! You have failed the man who trusted you more than once**!" Stone gagged as the grip got even tighter, and the grin on Zac's face got even wider. His teeth seemed to start to glow, and his eyes' light was slowly starting to spread._

_" **What if he suffers**?", he asked him and forced his face close to his. " **What if he's in pain? What if he is lying somewhere, injured, cursing you for letting him down**!" Stone whined as the words sunk in, and another wave of regret hit him. The daggers on his skin returned, but this time, they were bigger, sharper, and caused more pain. The tears had started to become more and were now running down his face._

_Zac laughed, amused at what he caused. " **Yes! Yes! Break and snap! Break and SNAP**!!"_

**_BREAK AND SNAP_ **

\---

Agent Stone shot up from his nightmare, gasping for air, digging his nails in his chest in pure horror. His eyes were widened, he was shaking, and he was furiously looking around, trying to find out where he was. His heart felt like it was going the speed of light, thumbing furiously against his rips, seemingly trying to break free from its prison called body, but it calmed as soon as his brain recognized the place he was in as his own bedroom.

Exhausted to now end, he fell back against the pillow, wiping the tears off his face, before, trying to calm his breathing. Once that had been done, he knew he could sleep no more, and so he forced his tired body out of bed. He limped into the bathroom, getting into the shower, hoping to wake his exhausted sense at least a little bit.

After a while, he stepped out, wrapping a towel tightly around himself, drying himself off before he went to put some clothes on. He stared himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth, feeling a pang in his heart as he realized that he looked even worse before he had this breakdown. " _Does it really surprise you? As I already said, you are pathetic_.", he heard the voice of his nightmare and flinched.

"I know...", he whispered, and went down to make himself some breakfast, knowing despite his depression, he needed to go to work. " _I'm surprised they still haven't noticed your state of psychical health_.", Zac spat in his head and he could literally feel the grin of his dark self. " _Or they simply don't care_."

He winced but decided to ignore his inner voice as he slowly ate his bread. " _Oh, don't you dare to ignore me. You can't fight yourself off, for I will always be inside you_." He sighed, and buried his face in his hands, trying to get his thoughts together that he would not have the same breakdown he had yesterday, and swallowed the last bit of food before standing up, grabbing his jacket, walking towards the door to get to work.

\---

"I'm what?!", he yelled at his boss, his eyes widened. His boss stared at him, surprised that he raised his voice. He shook his head to collect his thoughts and repeated the words he had just said.

"You'll get transferred somewhere else.", he spoke, staring at the shocked man in front of him. "W-what?", he muttered under his breath, too shocked to speak. "I-I just... Why?" His boss sighed and stood from his desk, walking around it to lay a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I've noticed your emotional state lately. You're down, so I thought I would put you in a place where you don't have to deal with emotions."

"What do you mean? Where will I go?", Stone asked, his eyes not leaving the green orbs of the other. "You're going to the Bloody Blades."

Everything around him seemed to stop.

His blood froze in his veins and turned his body into the new arctic, the words _Bloody Blades_ repeating in his mind over and over again, and he flopped down on the chair behind him, staring at nothing. This was not possible...this was not possible...The Bloody Blades? The most dangerous assassin cult in the world that was known to have absolutely no mercy?

"H-how did you...What about...", he wheezed, shuddering. His boss sighed and kneeled before him so that he could look him in the eyes. "It's a long story. There's not enough time to tell you everything, but I can tell you that they are no enemies. In fact, they have worked with the government for many, many years.

The _Bloody Blades_ are the main force to eliminate everyone who would be a danger to us, and they are an absolute void of emotion. I think for therapy, you should go there and take part in their world. Maybe you'll even like it.", he spoke, clearly attempting to cheer him up...it wasn't working...like at all.

He still felt like he had turned into ice, and his heart began to thump against his chest almost as violently as it had as he had his breakdown last night. " _Ah, good time remembering it, idiot_.", Zac laughed, causing him to bite his lips.

"Come on, boy. That'll be a change of environment, I'm sure that this will help you."

\---

Change of environment...Change of environment.

Agent Stone could smash his mirror as he stood in the bathroom, washing his face, getting ready to meet his new boss. He had been told that he or she knew where he lived and that he only had to wait for him or her to arrive.

" _Well, then you have at least somebody accompany you that can actually protect you. You're are clearly unable to do. It showed when you failed to protect Ivo_." His name. Stone felt his heart break as he let those words sink in, and he had to bite back a sob. He leaned against the sink as he buried his head in his hands, sighing and massaging his forehead to collect his thoughts. "Shut up.", he muttered to himself, hoping it would reach the voice in his head that has been born out of his insanity.

Zac, of course, only laughed loudly, making his ears ring like he stood next to a staring plain. He sighed and shook his head, fixing the mess that was his hair, before he turned around and walked out of the bathroom. As he got into the living room, however...his heart stopped in his chest.

Someone dressed in black clothing was sitting on his couch. There were three tall figures, two males and one female, making themselves comfortable. His hands reached for his waist, wanting to take his gun out, but a deep, cold voice stopped him from doing so.

"I would reconsider your following actions if I were you."

It was the woman speaking, and next to the voice of Zac, it was the most horrifying he had ever heard in his entire life. It was deep and beautiful, but she seemed like an absolute devoid of any emotions. She turned her head only barely, her dark, soulless eyes staring at him out of the mild darkness of the room, and he couldn't suppress a shudder that went through his body. " _Interesting_.", his inner voice purred as he saw her, almost as if he had a mind of his own. " _I'm certainly curious what this woman has to offer._ "

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?!", he hissed, his hand still holding onto his gun. The woman laughed, snapping her fingers, and the men stood up, walking over to him. They were tall, clothed in black leader armor, two katanas on their hips, and two guns right behind them. One of them grabbed his arm and pulled him towards them, then, the other wrapped his hand around his throat, not squeezing, but tight enough to prevent him from moving.

She stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes. She wore a pitch-black leather armor, daggers, swords and guns attached to it. Half of her face was covered in a mask, letting only her eyes staring at him. He could see that she was scarred, that she had taken many cuts in her face, and her left eye was a little dimmer than the right.

She was small, much smaller than him or the others, but she looked darker, more dangerous than any of the men who held him in place. Her dark eyes stared at him, taking in every detail of his face. The woman twisted his head and started grinning underneath her mask. "Strong...not too obvious...You will be perfect.

She let go of him and snapped her fingers, causing the other man to release him and he fell to the ground. Zac laughed. " _Even in front of them, you're making a fool out of yourself_." He growled at soundlessly, lifting his head to look into the woman's eyes, who returned the intensive stare. "I am Master Clementine Eikon, leader of the Bloody Blades.", she introduced herself, and reached out for him, her gloved hand ready to be taken.

Stone hesitated but grabbed it. "Agent Aban Stone.", he spoke. " _You were transferred into her own clan. There is no way she doesn't know your name, idiot_!", Zac hissed inside of his mind, and he could almost feel how his darker counterpart rolled his eyes. For the split of a second, he could see how a spark of interest shone in Clementine's dark, soulless eyes, but it disappeared as fast as it had appeared, and she let go of his hand.

"I already know, Agent Stone.", she spoke and turned back to them, straightening, walking over to the couch again. Only then, he noticed that she was slightly limping, probably from an injury. She sat down on his couch again, crossing her strong arms in front of her chest. "I know who you are, I know where your live, obviously, and I know your story. I know you worked for doctor Robotnik, a man who was forgotten."

He swallowed at her words, looking down, his eyes welling up with tears. If the assassin noticed, she ignored it. "When I was told who you worked for, I was...surprised, to say the least. I thought as soon as he had disappeared, you would be too forgotten. Seems like I was wrong for the first time in a very long time.", she laughed, shaking her head.

Zac made a humming sound. " _She is mysterious, dark, and absolutely deadly...I'm glad you got transferred to her_.", he spoke, causing him to flinch slightly.

"How do you know about...him?", he asked silently. "You've told me yourself that he was...forgotten." The leader of the clan only laughed, laughed. "As it was surely mentioned, I work with the government, so do my men and women, and it is quite difficult to get any information past us when a member of my huge family is behind every corner."

She reached into her pockets, pulling out a folded paper. "They have written everything down, so I'm informed of who you are, what you were doing...heck, I even know your secret love for sweets.", she grinned at him. "But this also means that I know how easy you will be to train. And my conclusion is that you will be perfect for us."

"I-I'm afraid I don't understand...", he breathed, which caused the other men to chuckle slightly. "The master means that you already know everything you need to know, there are only a few things that have to be learned", the taller told him, grinning wickedly behind his mask.

Clementine nodded. "Indeed. Our teams are educating themselves by doing missions, so you will be sent with one of my people or myself to learn. But I don't think you will need much time...", she forced herself to stand and to limp over to him, grabbing his chin, forcing him to look directly into her cold, dark eyes, which seemed to hold absolutely no soul. "...for I see something dark inside of you that makes my blood boil in excitement."


	2. Growing Insanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stone is slowly losing his sanity, and Zac watched with pure amusement as he did his first murder. The master was pleased...  
> Oh, and Robotnik misses Stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there is another chapter, took forever for me to write. Hope you like it, and as always, please excuse any grammatical mistake blah, blah, blah.  
> Enjoy reading it!^^  
> Your Diamond

„Come on, buddy! Keep up!” Stone bit back a fiercely comment and forced his body, clothed in a black leather armor which was soaked with the heavy rain that had decided to start right when they had stepped out of the hideout, to run forward and to jump over the gap between the two houses’ roof. He landed on his feet, climbing over it to catch up with the woman and man who were almost flying through the air, only touching the hard, wet surface to jump off one moment later.

The former agent yelled out in shock as he slipped and fell. He groaned in pain, forcing his tired body to stand up again, rubbing his aching chest and stomach. He shook his head before he began to run, trying to catch up with his new teammates. They were three houses ahead of him, already jumping onto the next one, until the woman, Mary was her name, turned around and told her boyfriend to stop.

She waited until he had caught up. “You alright?”, she asked and, and shot him a worried look. Stone grumbled something under his breath, too quiet for them to hear, but his nod was all it took to lessen the concern that the female killer was feeling.

“Okay. Let’s slow down a bit, okay Ben? He still has to get used to this.” Ben huffed and rolled his eyes, but nodded obediently, knowing he had to be friendly to their new teammate, or else their master would literally have his head. The agent had to take a few deep breaths before he told them that they could continue.

“ _That’s right. Torture yourself more. I swear it will be worth it_.”, Zac’s voice suddenly echoed through his head, causing him to bite his lips to prevent himself to tell him to shut the fuck up. He jumped, landing on his feet, before climbing up. The couple followed him easily, one of them always having an eye on him just to make sure he did not slip again or fall.

“You see the red house?!”, Mary suddenly yelled over the thunderstorm. “That’s where our targets are hiding! There are three of them! One for all of us! We’ll get in there through the windows!” “ _Boring!! I’d rather break the door down and stab their hearts with its remains._ ”, his dark-self growled and he scoffed.

“You’re a sick bastard.”, he muttered under his breath, before he jumped after Ben. “ _Thank you. I’m trying my best_.”

Getting in was easier than expected. One of them was already broken, so they just had to slip through the opening, and voila, they were inside. Mary turned towards Stone and handed him a knife. “Here, take this. The master gave this to me so I could give you this when the time is right. Select one of those idiots, sneak after them, and kill them with it. The more painful, the better. Prove your worth to the master. Trust me, she’ll know.”

Before the agent was able to voice any kind of complaint, the woman turned around and sneaked downstairs with her boyfriend to take out the men in the kitchen. He stared after them for a few seconds before he took a closer look at his new weapon. It was gorgeous. A long blade, mostly black, was reflecting the soft moonlight, and the handle was decorated with cravings which seemed to tell a story, and in the middle of it, there was a white crystal.

The words the master has spoken before he had left to this mission suddenly echoed through his head, and somehow, they brought a smile on his face.

_“ **This red crystal is an important symbol of our clan, it is filled with the blood of those who have once led this giant family. Every crystal you will see in these circles has a history, one day, the crystal you shall receive, will too hold your blood.**_

He let one of his fingers run over the sharp blade before he turned and slowly went inside the bedroom, where a young man was sleeping soundly. “ _A defenseless soul. Kill him, Aban! Kill him, he deserves it_!”, Zac hissed into his ears, and he could feel the shudder that slowly went down his spine. He felt the sudden urge to kill this man right in front of him that was snoring so loud that it was no problem for the agent to close the door.

He turned on the light, and walked over to the bed, climbing onto it before kneeling over him. “ _He’s still sleeping. Burry your sword into his chest._ ”, his dark self spoke, and for the first time in forever, he lifted the knife and stabbed him. He cried out in pure agony, his bright blue eyes opening in shock as he awoke, staring in the dark eyes of the man on top of him.

Stone felt a pleasant tingle in his fingers as he twisted the blade in the man’s chest, and he could not keep the grin off his face. He pulled it out, his knees digging into the other’s arms as he lifted his knife just above his head, his hands shaking.

Was he really going to do this? Was he really going to kill this guy? A guy that he didn’t even know? A guy that was maybe an innocent, kind person?

“ _Yes! Yes! Kill him! Kill him! You know you can do it! Just think about the pain you had to suffer through since Robotnik disappeared, let this sadness become hate! Kill him to relieve your suffering soul! Help yourself! Kill him_!”

Stone stared the man in the eyes, and he could feel his grip on the weapon tighten as a small grin spread across his face. “I have suffered…”, he whispered under his breath…”My life has lost its meaning after he was gone…and you say that this…will help me?”, he whispered, talking to Zac, ignoring his victim's desperate shaking of his head. His dark self chuckled. “ _Yeah, it’ll help you. It’ll ease some of your pain_.”

He chuckled, and then, he stabbed him. The blade went right through his skull, destroying his brain…instantly killing him. Blood splashed all over his new leather armor, and it felt so _good_ in his twisted mind. He gasped at the sudden relief he felt, and pulled the weapon out of the mass, staring at that what once was a human skull.

“ _Good work_.”, Zac purred, and he could hear the grin in his inner voice’s voice (I’m so god damn sorry). “ _This is what I wanted all along_!” Very slowly, the agent got off his victim, and left the room, closing the door behind him after looking at the mess one last time…two words echoing through the darkness.

“Sleep tight…”

\---

Home…

He wanted to go home.

Robotnik cried out in frustration and threw the mushroom in his hand away, jumping to his feet when he did so. His unkempt mustache swayed in the wind began to pace around, the heels of the ruined shoes digging into the dirt.

He hated it! He hated the taste of the mushroom! He hated the silence that surrounded! He hated the environment…but most of all…he hated the absolute loneliness of this world. He only had this rock…Agent Stone…his agent Stone.

The doctor sighed and sat down next to it, letting his exposed hand glide over the rough surface.

Agent Stone…his Stone…

_Will I ever see the real Stone again?_

\---

“You are _brilliant_!”

The voice of the master caused the three to flinch violently due to the volume. She did not turn, but the agent could imagine the grin that spread across her scarred face as she stared at the blood-covered blade he had handed to her.

“ _Yes, you have pleased her. Be proud_.”, Zac purred in his head, and he couldn’t help but chuckle, grinning himself. “Thank you, master.”, he spoke lowly, making sure his voice had no lack of respect. “There is no need to thank me, Stone. You have proven to be not only loyal but to be completely insane. Your mind is dark, and your shadow is ready to throw the world into darkness.” She laughed loudly and finally turned. He froze as he saw her completely unmasked for the first time, and he felt his blood freeze in terror.

Her face was even more scarred than he would have imagined. Remains of deep gashes were left on her dulled eye, and the other was surrounded by a strange tune of skin. Her right part of her lip had also a scar, but it was swollen, fresh, and it was thin, it would disappear. A bit to the right, however, there was a deep, old gash that seemed to come from a blade.

Her features were sharp, and yet, they were beautiful. The skin looked soft, she was pale – even a little bit too pale, but that was a side effect for an assassin who hated everything about light, sympathy, and goodwill – her teeth were glowing white, and some of them were sharpened. Probably from her habit to chew on her blades.

The room they were in was huge, and she had been sitting on a large couch in front of a fireplace, which burned brightly, surrounded by some armchairs and a table. There were blades spread all over it, some long, others short, some sharp, others dull and in the middle of it, there was a stone that she was probably using to sharpen them. So, she also takes care of the weapons…

The points of her almost-fangs were flashing in the fire’s dim light, and she slowly walked forward until she stopped right in front of him. Yes, she might be small, but now…she seemed so tall now that she was grinning.

“ _She’s not only your master, Aban. I’m also controlled by her and her mind tricks. I am a part of you, after all. She knows how to play...I like that._ ” Stone blinked. What the hell did Zac mean with that? Before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, his master grabbed the collar of the armor and pulled him to eye height. “You are a natural killer, Agent Aban Stone. I am proud to call you an official member of my clan now.”, she purred to him, and he could feel her strangely cold breath against his face.

She pressed the blade against his neck and cut the skin, just deep enough for him to bleed. Slowly, the gem on the blade turned red, and as it became a dark crimson, she pulled back and pressed it into his hand.

The master gave him a kiss on his forehead before she pulled back, walking back to the couch. “You’re dismissed now, Aban. Take the rest of the day off…do whatever you want. Of course, you can join another mission.”, she winked at him, before she flopped down on the couch again, but not before taking a blade and the stone.

The new assassin turned agent bowed to her, before he turned and left the hall, a grin on his face as he did so. Yes, his master really was pleased with him…it felt good. Almost as good as he…” _NO, don’t think of him now, Stone. We’ve come so far. You’re finally the person you were meant to be…there is no need to destroy that now with the thoughts of **him**_!”, Zac spat, causing him to flinch violently.

“You’re right.”, Aban nodded and opened the door to the main hall, ready to go home.

The ride there was silent. Zac did not talk again, nor did Aban ask anything. It was strange. It was almost as if Zac was an actual person, not a result of his insanity.

He parked his car into his garage before he unlocked the door of his house, closing it silently before making his way into his bathroom, getting rid of the armor to the way there. He was still covered in the red life essence of his first victim, there was even some in his hair.

After he had taken a shower, he went to bed, wanting nothing more than to sleep. Who knew that murder made a human so very tired?

\---

_He ran again, jumping over the gap of the river, landing on his feet. He could hear him behind him, but the footsteps were fading, he was faster than him. He spotted the area where his dark self had caught him last time, and dashed through it, grinning as he heard the other snarl in frustration._

_‘I’m escaping! I’m really escaping!’, he thought with joy as he jumped over yet another river, and turned to the right, running up the hills and out of the woods. He came to a lake, which’s surface reflected the bright light of the moon. He looked around, trying to find a place where he could hide before he found a cave._

_That was his chance._

_He dashed forward, hoping that he would be fast enough to lose Zac, who’s cursing could be clearly heard out of the woods. Huh, seems like his dark self didn’t like to fail at his own little game. The cave itself was surprisingly bright. There were crystals on the wall, giving off a soft glow, just enough that he could see the ground. He jumped over a rock, trying to get through it to escape Zac._

_But just as he wanted to take a turn to the right, there were large hands wrapping around his neck, and before he could cry out in shock, he was pressed against the wall, face forward. He heard a low laugh, dark, teasing. He knew he was caught. There was no way out._

_“Z-Zac…”, he wheezed, groaning in pain as his face was pressed against the cold, hard wall, wincing as a small stone pierced his flesh. Blood slowly ran down his face, and dripped to the floor, causing the darker being to chuckle in amusement._

_“ **You were close to freedom, Aban. But you failed.** ”, he purred and let free hand over his back, rubbing it softly. “ **You’re getting better, however. Those shadows made of flesh and blood are doing you good**.” Stone grunted as he was turned, and finally looked into the face of his dark counterpart, who’s grin got wider and wider by second. “ **You were even barely thinking about**_ **him _._** _”_

_The young man tensed, and he felt the sadness, which seemed to have disappeared through the day, rising up in his throat again, and tears began to form in his eyes. But he did not cry. He forced them back and glared with all the hate he could muster at Zac. “Shut up!!”, he snarled at him and tried to kick him in his chest. The shadowy male only chuckled and caught his leg, giving him a “nice try” look. “Don’t talk about him! You have no right to do so!”_

_“ **I have every right to talk about him, Aban. I know him just as well as you did…or knew**.”, he chuckled, grabbing his chin, forcing him to look at him. “ **He is most likely dead by now. Crushed under the heavy burden of being in another dimension. Oh, I imagine him running around, going insane…becoming a complete psychopath…just like you already are.** ” He chuckled and enjoyed the fact that his light(er) counterpart was getting angrier as the seconds passed. He was so angry that he didn’t even notice as the environment around them changed completely._

_Now, they were standing in a large hall, similar to the one where Master Eikon had praised him, the only difference was that the fire was blood red and the floor and wall were smeared with blood._

_“I know that! I know it’s my fault! There is no need to tell me that! And he’s alive! I know he is! And he surely is no psychopath! Nor am I!”, he roared in the other’s face, and he could feel the rage boiling in his blood as the other only chuckled. His dark counterpart let go of him, letting him fall to the ground, letting himself fall onto the soft surface of the couch._

_“ **That, my friend, is not true. As much as you wish it is, you were the one who has pierced the poor man’s skull with the dagger you have gotten from our new master, and it was you who wished him a**_ **tight sleep _. That was sick, even for a being like me_** _.”, he snorted and leaned back, watching as Stone got to his feet, shaking slightly, before stumbling to the other couch, collapsing on top of it._

_“No.”, he wheezed. “That was you! It had to be you!”, he screamed at him, his eyes widening in horror as the memories of the murder came back to his mind…_

_The feeling when the man looked at him with pure fear in his eyes, when he pierced his skull with the blade…when he felt his warm blood through his armor…He started to laugh, but it was not a cheerful one. He laughed louder…and louder, and louder, until it echoed through the room as tears began to run down his face._

_Zac joined in, glad that his lighter counterpart finally fell into his insanity._

\---

Darkness…she adored darkness…

It made her feel complete…relaxed…sane.

She blinked slowly as she let her bare fingertips run over the sharpened blade, making sure to cut herself. She slowly licked the red liquid off her finger, grinning at the metallic taste in her mouth, running her clean hand through her thick, dark, beautiful hair, which seemed to glow in the gloomy light of the fireplace.

Stone was filled with darkness. It was weak, barely able to be seen, but it was there, and it only waited for the man to break and snap. She knew that he was close. He already committed one murder, but it was not enough. She knew that.

The master grinned and leaned back, but not before grabbing a dull blade off the table. “She would make the boy stronger. She would make him a real killer…maybe she would make him her assistant…but that was a thought of the future.


	3. The Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The master makes Stone to her assistant, but he is not taking it so well, so she called him to her and spoke with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello  
> I know, I haven't posted in a while, but the school's overrunning me with homework, and every chapter is at least 3000 words long, so it always takes a while. I hope you like this chapter^^

One entire month…it has been one entire month since he had fulfilled his first contract, and now he stood in the middle of a crowd, bowing as the master entered, her hair tied back into a strict ponytail, leather armor, tight against her skin.

She walked to the edge of the stairs, looking around to make sure everyone that wasn’t on a mission was there, before patiently waiting for the crowd to go silent. For a second, she locked eyes with Stone, winking at him with a small grin before her face became cold again. As soon as silence fell upon the room, she began to speak.

“My dear men and woman, master and recruits, children, and adults!”, she started, enjoying the cheering she achieved from her people. “It has been over 800 hundred years since our assassin clan was born, and 8 years of those, I have been your master. Many of you surely remember the fifteen-year-old girl that held her first speech up here, and now look at me. I am the symbol of power, I have become the master of crime, and my blade cuts through flesh like the claws of a bear!”

Cheering, even Stone clapped, absolutely captivated of the speech…but also surprised. He had seen the master unmasked more than once, and he would have never guessed that she was only 23. “ _But_ this is not the only special thing today. Exactly one month ago, a new member of our clan has proven his worth to us. Applause to Agent Aban Stone!”, she called out and turned her head towards him.

Stone felt his blood freeze in his veins, and panic began to flood his mind. ‘What is going on?’, he thought, and he heard Zac chuckle in his head. “ _She’s calling you up to her, you idiot. Come on! Go up! Wouldn’t want to disappoint another boss, right_?” He bit his lips, pressing his eyes closed for a few seconds before reopening again, forcing his body up the stairs. As soon as he could be seen, they clapped and cheered. He swallowed, feeling highly uncomfortable.

“Come here, my boy.”, she laughed, reaching out to grab his arm. He did not resist her, knowing that it would only result in pain or worse. “Agent Aban Stone has achieved what not many of you did. He killed his first victim in the worst way possible! You, Aban, should be proud when you hear me saying that this was one of the worst wounds that have not been from me in a very long time.”, she laughed loudly, cheering, the others following. There was clapping again, and he would love to just sink into the ground to hide from them.

“Don’t worry.”, she whispered in his ear. “You’ve got me to protect you, buddy. They can’t harm you.” Her cold voice sent chills down his spine, and he felt his heart in his chest explode from fear, Zac, however, too, was cheering. “ _This is awesome. I can’t believe you’re scared! You should feel like a god!_ ”, he spoke, laughing loudly. Stone shook his head, hoping that her speech would soon be over. That, however, was not going to happen.

“Over the years, we have gotten so many new recruits, but Stone…he is exceptionally well! Power and insanity are combined within him, and yet, he is shy and does only cheer silently over his victory. He is by far one of the best I have ever had! And for this, he will be rewarded.” She pushed him forwards, grinning widely. “Say hello to your second master. Agent Assassin Master Aban Stone, my new assistant!”

The cheering got louder and echoed through his head. His heart felt like it would explode out of nervousness, but there was also a strange feeling of joy rushing through his veins. Zac was also yelling out in pure bliss at her announcement, and he swore he could feel him dance around in his head.

The master grinned at him, winking through her mask before she started clapping too. They were worshipping him, they were proud of him and his accomplishments…not like the government…not like Robotnik…he was powerful here…and for some strange reason, he liked it that way.

A good hour later, the master had called him to the hall where she was often seen, and she indeed sat on the couch again, this time stroking the fur of a large Golden Retriever, that snarled at him as soon as he entered the room. “Sam, no.”, the master spoke firmly, and the large being went silent, whining as he pushed his head against her hand again. “Hello, Aban. Come, sit. You deserve it after the shock you surely had.” Stone had no problem to not deny her request and let himself fall onto the soft fabric of the sofa, closing his eyes for a few seconds.

She waited patiently until he had caught himself enough to reopen them and to look at her, concentrating on the relaxed body of her loyal pet that has killed so many victims with his maw.

“How does it feel?”, Master Eikon asked him. “Strange.”, he honestly answered, and waited for her reaction. To his surprise, she wasn’t offended. She chuckled lowly, shaking her head in pure amusement, rubbing the soft-looking ears of the animals on her lap, which grunted in pleasure. “That’s normal, trust me. I was…uneasy too when I finally stepped up to the former master at the age of twelve. But don’t worry, that feeling will disappear in a few weeks…or months. It’s your soul that’s deciding this. Do you have a dark soul, Aban?”, she asked, and crocked her head to the side, her dark eyes having a strange glint in it. “ _Yes. Yes, he has. We have_.”, Zac hissed darkly, and her grin widened…as if she had heard him.

Stone, however, shook his head, biting down on his bottom lip. “No, I don’t think I have.”, he muttered and looked at the red carpet, his hands shaking. She chuckled again, shaking her head. “You think you don’t have one?”, the master asked and crocked her head to the side. “Using your mind is not the best method to find out how much your soul has tainted.” She leaned back, bringing the dog’s head to her chest, who closed his eyes. “Tell me, have you killed anyone before you have come to us? A criminal? Another agent by accident? An…enemy?”

The young man swallowed the lump in his throat, and his inner eye began to play a scene again that had happened years ago, even before he got assigned to Robotnik.

Flashback:

_Stone sighed as he closed the doors behind him, letting his fingers run through his hair, glad that he finally closed the door behind him. It had been a long day at work, and he was glad that he was finally home, safe from the eyes of the other agent. He shook his head, taking off his jacket and taking off his shoes before walking into his kitchen._

_He was hungry, very even, and he wanted nothing more than to make himself large steak soaked with sauce. He set his gun onto the desk, washing his hands before opening his fridge, taking out the ingredients wasting no sound, starting to cook. He was a person who loved cooking, and he knew a lot of recipes to make his life much more tasteful._

_Stone reached for a spoon, taking a little bit of the sauce, moaning at the wonderful taste that almost exploded in his mouth. He smiled softly and hoisted the steak on the plate he had prepared, pouring the wonderful smelling and tasting liquid onto it. Setting it down on the table, he grabbed his fork, wanting to eat…as suddenly, a loud sound echoed through the house. Shocked, the young man turned his head turned into the direction where it came from._

_The stairs._

_Deciding to ignore his hunger, Stone grabbed his gun and slowly walked up, his finger on the trigger. He heard two voices, one male, another female, and they were arguing. “What the fuck are you doing?”, the woman hissed at the man, who chuckled. “Oh, come on, Lilith. Nobody’s home. Did you see any light? I didn’t.”_

_Stone snorted quietly. Of course, they wouldn’t see the light. The kitchen and the window were the different sides of the house. He slowly lifted his weapons and continued to go upstairs, careful to not make any sounds. “Michael, shut up. Let’s hurry. Who knows when the owner returns. I heard that he’s an agent. He’s going to kill us.” The mentioned agent heard the male snort in amusement. “As if.”_

_“You’re an ignorant idiot.”, Lilith spat at her brother before she started moving around, searching something that’s worth stealing. Unfortunately, Stone’s house was filled with precious goods that were worth more than a few thousand dollars. His mother was rich after all, and he had much jewelry left from her after she died._

_Rage filled him as he thought about them stealing them, the last memories in material he had left from her, and he continued to walk up the stairs, quietly stopping at the open door. Good thing he had forgotten to close it after he left. That way the surprise moment is on his side. He perked through, catching a glimpse of the man touching his mother’s jewelry._

_The rage reached its peak, and he burst inside, holding his weapon tightly, his finger already on the trigger, his dark eyes burning with rage. The woman flinched, her hand racing to her hip where a gun was attached. “Return. The. Jewelry.”, the young agent growled lowly, pointing his own directly on the man’s head. He seemed surprised at first, but then, he slowly started grinning. “Oh, and why should I do this? Are you gonna shoot me?”, he asked teasingly and mentioned towards his weapons. “Hah! As if you could do that! I’m sure that gun isn’t even real!” Stone growled his lip twitching, his narrowed eyes almost burning with rage at this point. “Oh, trust me, it is real!”, he hissed. “And I have people before.”_

_The man snorted and, too, brought a gun into his hands, aiming at Stone. “Too bad.” He shot but missed. The agent flinched violently, and, too, attacked. His shots did not miss. All two pierced the man’s shoulders, who cried out in pain, letting his weapon fall to the ground. The woman awoke from her frozen state that she had gotten after her boyfriend got shot, and finally did it herself. Stone dodged just in time, aiming for her clumsily, before shooting. The bullet did not miss, but instead of her shoulder, he hit her head. She let out one last, shocked wheeze, before falling onto the floor, dead._

_The man cried out in shock, tears gathering in his eyes as he watched the love of his life fall dead to the floor. He grabbed his gun again, aiming at him, but before he could shoot, Stone pulled the trigger yet again and killed him with a clean headshot._

\---

Stone had begun to shake during the flashback and dug his sharpened nails into the soft material. The master herself had leaned, watching his expression to go through thoughtful to shock, from shock to anger, and from anger to pure panic. The dog had fallen asleep, his muscular chest rising and falling with a deep breath he took. “Just as I thought. You already killed before. Was it anger? Was it jealousy?”

“A-anger.”, he whispered. “They held her jewelry in their hands…it was the only thing left…I-I was just so angry…” He had balled his hands to fists, digging his sharpened nails into his skin, breaking it, causing blood to ooze out of the wounds. “I…I just pulled the trigger…I-I.” “Whose jewelry was it?”, the master asked, and shook the dog awake, who growled softly. “M-my mother’s…”, he whispered and hung his head, missing how the master one of her elegant eyebrows. “Your anger was natural, and your choice to kill also. You are not to blame, I am sure many would have done the same thing. Your reaction, however, proves that you are literally born to join us.”

Gently pushing the dog out of her lab, she stood up and walked over to him, again, limping softly. Sitting down next to him, she threw an arm over his shaking shoulders, and let him lean against her. “I chose you for a reason, Aban. That you became my new assistant was not because of your exceptional work in your first mission, but also because I see something within you that needs that thrill, something that needs the blood of others to stay in your control. You are not an ordinary human, buddy, and there Is so much potential within you that needs to be freed.”

Out of nowhere, she lifted her head and whistled for her dog to come over. Sam obeyed, slow walking over to them. Carefully, she grabbed Stone’s hand and let it fall onto his head. “There is a reason why he growled at you as you entered.”, she spoke as she guided him with her own. “He knows how strong you are. He knows that you could even rival _me_. Otherwise, he would have simply ignored you. But to unleash that strength, you have to do something.”

The agent lifted his head, his nails softly scratching the dog’s head, who already leaned into his palm. Sensing his question, she let go of his hands and leaned back again, enjoying the peaceful expression on her young pet. “You need to break your shield, to bop your bubble. You need to free yourself from your restraints, and as soon as you did this, your life will be so much better, believe me.”

Silence, Stone stared at her with wide, shocked eyes that were filled with fear. This expression caused the master to laugh. "No, I don't mean to let you suffer. I mean that you should let yourself be attacked emotionally. The more you have to fight, the stronger you will get. Breaking your restrains with control. This is how my master trained me, and I don’t feel any regret for killing my victims anymore, even though there are children underneath them. The more you lower your defenses while training, the stronger you will get afterward.”, she smiled and scratched the dog’s neck. “Trust me, Stone. It’ll all get better, especially when you’re not feeling guilty about failing your boss anymore. You won't feel anything.”

The young agent bit his lips and turned his head to the side. Should he really do as she told him? Should he let his emotional shields down and let his feelings surface to get hurt to train his emotional state? “ _Yesss, do it! She only wants to help you_.”, Zac spoke, scaring Stone shitless. His darker self had been awfully quiet until now.

“ _You’ll get stronger. We’ll get stronger! All this anger you have stored for years would be finally released_!” “Maybe it’ll help if I train you personally.”, Master Eikon mused. “You’re going to be my personal assistant after all, and it’s surely a huge benefit if you remain by my side the whole time…”, she muttered and leaned forward, kissing the dog’s forehead. “What do you think, Sam?”

Sam huffed, complaining that Stone had stopped scratching his head. A small smile formed on her lips as she turned her head back to face him. “I think he says yes.”, she grinned and turned her head towards the man next to her. “Well, then you better get some sleep. You can stay here or you can go home, I don’t care, as long as you are fit tomorrow.”

She stood up, walking over to the heavy doors that lead to her private living area, walking through it, disappearing from Stone’s sight.

Said agent sighed, leaning back against the couch, his hand still on the dog's head, who stayed with him, looking at him out of sharp yet large dark eyes. “So…now I’m the new assistant of an assassin clan leader, hmm?”, he asked Sam, who only crocked his head to the side before making a deep rumbling sound, demanding more stroking. Stone obliged and ran his fingers through the soft, well-kept fur of the golden/white beauty in front of him. “This is so strange…only two months ago, I was standing in Ivo’s lab, listening to his plans…and now I sit here and have to rest for an emotional training tomorrow.” “ _The world is strange, Aban. But you should be glad that she is here for you. Imagine going through all of this alone._ ”, his darker self spoke, which, surprisingly, brought him to smile.

“Maybe you’re right, maybe I just have to let myself get carried away…maybe this will turn out so that I don’t have to feel the pain anymore…” He leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes, drifting off to sleep, barely feeling the fur of Sam, who had decided to lay down next to him, simply enjoying his warmth. He was unaware that the master had not yet left, and was standing in the doorway, watching Stone sleep.

“Don’t worry, Aban. I’ll make sure that everything will be okay. I just need to set you free…then it will be alright.”

\---

Mushrooms…Mushrooms everywhere.

He was sick of mushrooms. He was sick of how they smelled, looked, and tasted. But they were all he saw.

But soon…soon he would not have to look at them again, soon he would be home again…the machine…it was almost done. “Home…We’re going home, Agent Stone.”, he wheezed and turned his head towards the Rock sitting there on the ground, staring back at him with an expressionless _face_. “Wonderful blue sky, woods, fresh air, rivers, lakes…a house, a shower food…and most importantly…no god damn fucking _mushrooms_.”, he spat as he took the quill out of his back, turning his head to the machine in front of him.

“It only takes one or two months of work…and then, we’re finally able to go home…”


End file.
